Thanks to Dave Frohmader's excellent home web screen, the date of Sugar Bush is announced. What we've not shared until now is what the plan is for this year. Well, after the amazing experience of last year, we are expanding on what worked and adding some new elements. Below is the basic information on the event.

2010 SUGARBUSH/ SOLDIER CRAFT

INTRODUCTION
For this weekend we will give each participant the opportunity to work on three soldier crafts: firing live for distance recognition and accuracy, gabion building/gabion wall building and bombproof building. Steve Acker, Andy Ackert and Dan McGraw will each take one element and be in charge of that. We will divide the attendees into three details. Each detail will work on each element on a rotating schedule. Each cycle will last two hours.

HISTORICAL SCENERIO
13th Virginia sharpshooters during the spring of 1864.

ELEMENTS
Gabion and Lattice Wall Building: using grapevine and the strippings from the felled trees, we will build gabions then an earthen wall that uses the gabions as its base. Construction, placement and filling will make up the next wall of the trench we started last year.
Element Leader: Andy Ackeret

Bombproof Building: using the rear part of last year’s digging we will expand the hole, put up a log roof and then cover the roof with leaves and earth. Sides and maybe a chimney can also be added.
Element Leader: Steve Acker

Firing and Distance Recognition: using various distances, the men will first decide the distance then fire rounds at each distance. Tentatives distances: 50, 100, 200+ paces
Element Leader: Dan McGraw

DETAILS
We will try to create the details by their messes so pards may work with pards.

FEE
Rations: each man will bring his own for Friday night to Sunday morning
Caps and Gunpowder: Each man is responsible for bringing his own. Assume you’ll need around 30 caps and 30 rounds of 65 grains or the equivalent gun powder
Money will be collected for the rounds


EQUIPMENT NEEDS

Shovels (many)
Axes (many)
Hatchets (many)
Rope
Saw
wood auger


If you are planning on attending, please contact Dan McGraw, Andy Ackeret or Steve Acker to let us know.

Directions to Sugarbush will be posted on the ONV site in early June.

ALSO, this is a confederate impression, but if anyone lacking the proper ANV late impression wants to attend, let us know for we all have enough gear to outfit at least six or seven guys.

Last year Sugar Bush was one of the highlights of the season. The same has been said by many of last year's participants so if you want to build your soldier craft skills, come to Sugar Bush.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

FRIDAY
Arrive and socialize

SATURDAY
7:00-8:00 Breakfast

8:00 Roll call and detail creation

8:30-10:30
Company wood felling, stripping and hauling

10:30-11:00 rest

11:00-1:00
Detail One: firing
Detail Two: gabion building
Detail Three: bombproof building

1:00-2:00 rest and eat

2:00-4:00
Detail One: gabion building
Detail Two: Bombproof building
Detail Three: firing

4:00-4:30 Rest

4:30-6:30
Detail One: bombproof building
Detail Two: firing
Detail Three: gabion building

6:30
Supper/Rest/Relax

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 Breakfast

8:00-10:00 Firing competition where the winner receives a brand new wool federal contract shirt.

10:00 finish event by processing what we did and cleaning up the area




Steve Acker

I am bummed that I have to miss this! I thought I could go but was reminded of a wedding we are to attend that weekend.

Looks like a lot of fun!

Nathan

All,
We are going to make registration very easy. All you need to do is show up and sign the waiver and registration. However, please drop me an email (dsmcgraw@new.rr.com) and let me know if you are going to attend the event. The event site is about 30 miles north of Lambeau Field. If you are not an ONV member, you will need an ONV sponsor for the event.
The event should give each mess a chance to work together as a unit and perform entrenchment tasks that were common to soldiers during the 1864 campaign in Virginia. I am looking forward to the sharpshooter training and competition. I will distribute patched round balls and conicals for the live fire demonstration. So, safety will be paramount. Sharpshooters on both sides were very effective during the campaign.
It was a lot of fun building the entrenchment last year and camping in the works. It was also the first time that many of the participants had ever live fired their weapons. The event could be better this year. My thanks to Steve and Andy for developing the scenario, and to my wife Sue for allowing us to enjoy history and have fun at Sugar Bush.
Dan McGraw

I've been looking up some information on Gabions, and with supplies we gather from the woods around Sugar Bush, the efforts of the group should produce good results that are comparable to images of gabions in the field.

I am very much looking forward to this event.

-Andy

Unfortunately I am unable to attend due to obligations (just like other events I want to go to) for another event at Heritage Hill in Green Bay that I have been helping plan since last Fall. I really could use a brand new wool federal contract shirt though If Sugar Bush ends early on Sunday like it did last year anyone that is interested in stopping by Heritage Hill is more than welcome. Most, if not all should be driving through Green Bay on there way home anyway. Although I’m sure not as authentic as Dan’s event it should still be fun. You can fall in with the 10th Tenn/41st VA.

Brandon Ledvina

During the 2009 Sugar Bush event, we live-fired our weapons using round balls and conicals. Brandon and Todd were our top sharpshooters. Brandon's participation in the 2010 event will be missed. It is easy to understand what he is trying to accomplish at Heritage Hill. Heritage Hill has suffered from political correctness for years......as an example CS reenactors were not even welcomed. Heritage Hill is a beautiful place and has great potential in preserving American history. I hope that the Civil War event is a success.
Yes, there will be a sharpshooter competition in 2010 at SB. It will be scheduled for Sunday morning. The winner will take home Steve's donated shirt and some good braggin' rights.
I will put my wager on Rich to take home the goods.
Regards,
Dan

Hello fellows,

Just over a week until this unique experience for training as a CS sharpshooter and reinforcing the entrenchments we began last year.

I am certainly looking forward to it.

-Andy

The entrechment remains untouched from last year. The scenario reminds me of accounts of Cold Harbor.
Some CS troops occupied entrenchments that were built in 1862 during Gaine's Mill and later reoccupied and improved in 1864. Sharpshooters were very effective. The sharpshooter training will cover weapon basics, ammunition, sighting-in, ranging, and marksmanship. We may construct authentic cartidges with minie balls. A competitive target shoot will conclude the training.
Andy and Steve have done a lot of research on the scenario. So, this should be a unique experience.
A period supper will be prepared by Sue on Saturday.
Regards,
Dan

The Sugar Bush Soldier Craft Weekend is being postponed until further notice. Steve has an opportunity to attend a five day seminar about the Petersburg entrenchments at Pamplin Park. The seminar is hosted by Earl Hess, a noted author and authority on ACW entrenchments and it begins this Thursday.
Personally, the postponement will also accommodate a family visit this weekend by a good friend who is on military leave.
Regards,
Dan

I know this is probably disappointing to a lot of guys who have been looking forward to it, but as someone who really wanted to attend but could not because of the date. Cool, I look forward to hearing about the new date. Might I suggest 21-22 August. Maybe a little presumptuous but what the heck, I know I can make it that weekend.

Now I might have a chance to attend! As far as Aug 21-22 there is another event at Pinecrest Village in Manitowoc that I have obligations at and maybe others as well.

There is a way that you can still get your reenacting fix this weekend. There will be an event at Heritage Hill in Green Bay if anyone is interested since you can’t go to Sugar Bush anymore. The ONV has already been invited and anyone that wants to join is more than welcome. Other Infantry will be the 10th Tenn and 41st VA. The park has many important historical buildings as well as the fire house that one of Don Smith’s shirts were fashioned from. You can arrive at 3 PM on Friday for registration. Please do not come before. This is an archeological site so please do not dig any fire pits unless it is marked but you shouldn‘t need another one than what we will already have. If you arrive and there is know one at the main building at the top of the hill go to the bottom of the hill on Riverside Dr. (this street goes along the Fox River and separates the fur triad area from the rest of the park). By the bottom of Highway 172 you should see a reenactor parking sign. There is a bike/walking trail that you can take and there is a gate you can come in. There will be a combination lock which I still haven’t gotten the combination but I will post it as soon as I get it.

I have been helping get this event going since last Fall and would like you see some of you there. I also still haven’t sold the drawers that I had posted lately and will bring them along if anyone is interested. I will also reduce the price to $70 since I don’t have to pay the shipping if you pick them up at the event.

www.heritagehillgb.org/

Steve, Andy and I will discuss a new date for the event when Steve returns from Petersburg. Brad's presumptive recommendation and others will be considered also.
Regards,
Dan

For anyone interested in the Heritage Hill event mentioned above the code for the lock is 3005.